Woman of the Week: Interview with a Travel Curator

Sheree is our woman of the week coming to you with a job directly related to the travel industry. As she’ll explain a bit, she created her own job curating very unique travel experiences where her American clients meet and interact with local experts in the destination. I was blown away by her business savvy idea and execution, and immediately knew I wanted to interview her. Sheree is a perfect example of someone who has channeled her love for travel into a successful business venture and used it as a way to see the world. I hope you enjoy her interview and find her story as inspirational as I have!

CONNECT WITH SHEREE:

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?

My name is Sheree Miranda Mitchell. I live between Miami, Florida and Portugal where I manage Immersa Global, a boutique tour operator that designs unique and exclusive experiences for discerning travelers. I got my start in travel curation over fourteen years ago when I used to design personalized study abroad programs for students and educators studying Spanish. Through my own travels, I’ve learned to measure my success by my happiness and overall wellbeing. Life is a constantly-evolving novel and I view financial prosperity as a means to travel and experience more. So far, I’ve visited 40 countries and I’ve lived in four.

WHY DO YOU TRAVEL?

Before I used to travel to stay connected with the world, now I travel to stay connected with myself.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR WORK?

I curate unique and exclusive travel experiences for discerning travelers.

Sheree sent me an article about her work and one of the tours she has curated – this excerpt gives a bit of a glimpse into the sort of experiences she curates through Immersa Global:

“It’s not often that a traveller, even a seasoned one, is shown around a country by a former US ambassador.

It’s even less likely that they will get an inside take on that country by one of its seasoned politicians, sample local cuisine cooked by one of its top chefs, be photographed by a famous photographer and get an access-all-areas pass to some of its institutions and UNESCO World Heritage sites.

That’s exactly what US travel consultant and influencer Sheree M. Mitchell is offering with her forthcoming ‘The Ambassador’s Tour of Portugal’.

The seven-day tour is organised through Sheree’s Immersa Global Leisure Travel agency, which specialises in designing tailor-made journeys for the intellectually curious, although there is certainly nothing of the accidental tourist in these glamorous and exclusive trips where everything is planned to the smallest detail and nothing is left to chance.”

You can read the full article to learn more about her organization. I found Sheree’s approach to be such a genius way to target in on a niche audience. As the article explains, Sheree’s trips don’t fall under the “budget travel” category, but they don’t have to for success. Instead, she’s targeted in on a smaller target audience, but one that she knows is likely to need her services and be able to afford what she’s offering.

The audience she attracts are people who typically have money to spend and are already considering spending it in a specific country. She offers them the chance to dive into that country’s culture and explore it further before they decide whether or not to commit.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS JOB?

I created it.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY AT WORK LOOK LIKE?

It depends. If I’m home in Miami, a typical day will be spent writing program proposals, researching new possible little-known destinations within our current destinations, or reaching out to clients and prospects. If I’m on the road, a typical day consist in visiting different places in search for new adventures for our clients.

HOW DO YOU BALANCE WORK AND TRAVEL?

My work keeps me on the road and I really enjoy what I do so everything feels well-balanced.

WHAT’S THE BEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED FROM YOUR TRAVELS?

I traveled for over a year on a solo journey around the world. There were many lessons leading up to the trip as it took a couple of years to find the courage to walk away from everything (career, home, comfort, etc). During the actual journey, I (re)connected with myself and I learned to trust my intuition. As I reflect back, the main takeaways are that we, as women, are more resilient than we think and once we feel empowered, absolutely anything is possible.

SHARE ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL MEMORIES.

I was in Mandalay, Myanmar/Burma visiting the longest teak bridge in the world where hundreds of Buddhist monks cross every day. The sun was setting and it was absolutely amazing to watch them glide back and forth in their burnt orange robes. I wanted to take a picture, but decided against it since there weren’t other tourists around. As I was getting ready to leave, a group of young monks came over to take a picture… with me! I was so excited. It was as if they’d read my mind. Our encounter only lasted a few minutes, but it was truly magical.

IF YOU COULD SHARE ONE TRAVEL TIP WITH OTHER WOMEN, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Know what your limits are and strive to push yourself (gently) out of your comfort zone a little at a time. That’s the space in which real personal growth happens.

THANKS FOR READING SHEREE’S STORY!

I’ve also created three freebies to help you plan your next adventure:

50 Practical Travel Tips from Solo Lady Backpackers (a 6-page PDF)

20 Tips for Sustainable Travel (a checklist)

and 30 Jobs to See the World.

After you join the mailing list up, you’ll have access to all the freebies, AND get the password to the Global Directory! The directory will connect you to my recommended resources for each country and tons of travel topics. All blog posts I recommend are written by traveling ladies. From logistics to inspiration, the Global Directory will help you find the info you need no matter where you’re going.

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Sarah is a 24-year-old working in juvenile justice who loves to travel the world (if you haven't gathered that already). I'm a proud cat mom, coffee-addict, and Harry Potter fanatic with an over reliance on list-making. Welcome to my little slice of the internet, where I'll try to convince you that work and travel are NOT mutually exclusive.

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Hey there! My name is Sarah. I'm a 25-year-old working in juvenile justice who constantly daydreams of traveling the world. I'm also a cat mom, coffee-addict, and Harry Potter fanatic with an over reliance on list-making. Welcome to my little slice of the internet where I'll try to convince you that work and travel are NOT mutually exclusive!